Is this a realistic trip plan. I could add in an extra day if needed for wind or weather. Would like to go in June. How does that work with the tow boat? Will they come back the next day to look for you?

day 1 Drive to Ely and stay at outfitters bunkhouse
day 2 Early AM - Tow to Prairie Portage, paddle to Louisa
day 3 Paddle Louisa, McEwen, Kawnipi
day 4 Paddle Kawnipi, Williams, Kahshahnipi
day 5 Paddle Kahshahnipi to Bayley Bay
day 6 Meet tow at PP to Moose Lake, drive home

Looks like a great trip to me, I would add an extra day or two if it was me.....but I'm a slowpoke, and like to take it easy. If you stay with 6 days you will be really mov'in and no chance for wind or lay-over day.

Are tow boat operators good about lay-over days or should I just plan one in and not worry about it? I think I just answered my own question...thanks

That's not exactly Hunters Island, just part of it.

If you can't commit to an exact time and date for a tow, I doubt they will get you.

Did most of that loop - took ten days - calculated that it could have been done in seven.

You could do this in six, I assume you're in great shape and you single portage right?

It's definitely do-able with some balls-out paddling. The nice part about June is that you can paddle until about 9:30 at night, but praying that your destined camp site isn't occupied. When I was 20, we made it from PP to Suz in a day on flat water. Today, I am happy to make Sarah in a day. Never been to Kawnipi, but it looks like any kind of typical summer wind might set you back a day. I honestly don't ever remember seeing an east wind during summer months. Good luck.

Zig--thats a big bite..i have done most of those lakes..
the PP to Louisa should be no sweat..i can get to the falls,solo
with lots of day light left..the carry up-up and up to the lake
with the last "little" carry in would be a very long day for me.
and it's a big lake so find a camp right away.. the north side has some on points before the first big island.
your next day has a lot of carrys..almost 20 between Louisa
and the open water of Kawnipi..and the last of them thru the falls
chain are no fooling around..they mark the maps as bad water for
a reason..
day 4 is also a lot of carrying--by cutting south of Rose island
to get to Keewain you are in for at least 10 carrys..and even
the short lift overs still call for un-loading and re-loading
the canoes..and the last carrys from Hurlburt--Trant,into Kash
are long..
day five is the same..i don't know if the beaver dam is back
at the end of Kash--if not the carry out will be long and
nasty..and the whole Side lake to Isabella is carry--carry-
carry..and one of those is "heart break hill" if you take the
short cut to avoid morry carrys and a long walk around a
swamp..when you get out on North Bay you still have a long
way to Bayley Bay..soooooo--if i were you..with the time
you have i would look for a route with more open water..
i know its almost a "boy scout route" but the Sunday--Agnes.
Kawnipi--Heronshaw--Metacryst--Sark--Keefer--Kash--Mcniece-
Gray--Shade--and back to North bay and out has alot going
for it..some small back lakes and others with huge cliffs.
anyway--wherever you go --good luck..and paddle fast..i did
that with a buddy in 10 days with only one lay over..with
just 4 days on the water you may want to just yo-yo up
Agnes to Kasie and come back down again with a side trip
thru Silence --Summer--Shade to North Bay and out..

i agree with beemer. i did the loop in 11 days in 2006 (scheduled for 14 but bear took food) with 2 layover days and two days we did less than 5 miles due to wind. And is was kawnipi and sturgeon we were windbound on.

The real loop is from Moose to Cache bay (or through Man Chain) to Saganagons, Kawnipi, Sturgeon, Maligne River, Lac la Croix, Crooked, Basswood, and back to Moose.

Days 3 and 4 definitely look too ambitiouis to me unless you are a superhero. Break those two days into three and you're more in the ballpark, but I'd add another day or two on top of that or alter the route (e.g. go through Agnes to or from Kawnipi). Of course, I like to take some time to smell the roses and also like some flexibility. Maybe you have other goals.

As the others said - your agenda has no margin for weather (or beaver) related delays, which would concern me.

On a closer read on Day 5, the beaver pond paddle at the South end of Kash is gone, replaced by either a 100 yard wade thru thigh deep stinking mud, or a slow and dangerous route around the edge of the mud hole on sharp and loose rocks.

Plan accordingly.

Thanks for all the input. Obviously this is an agressive trip. I need to get better Q maps, my overall map doesn't do the portages justice.
I might have the option of building in an extra day, maybe two. Would 10 days be enough? I may try to do a different route with my time and will post back after I look over the maps some more and talk to the rest of my group.

BTW, I am in pretty good physical condition and wouldn't be afraid to attempt this route if time wasn't an issue. Heck, if time wasn't an issue I'd want to do the entire Hunter's loop. Stupid vacation limits! I should of chosen "independently wealthy" as my career choice.

Ten days would be a nice trip on this loop. BTW, a beautiful route!!

Big Zig,

That's almost the exact same route I took last June, over 7 days. Except, I exited Kawnipi through to northwest towards Kash creek. It was a great trip. I like to think I travel better than most, and to keep schedule and allow some time for bad weather a few of those days were just a bear. There is no way I would want to cut down that frame at all.
If you miss your pick up time, don't expect them to sit and wait. You will have to figure out a way to get a message to your outfitter, it might be quicker to just paddle there.
I like your ambition though. Good luck!

Well I got my Q entry permit today for Kahshahpiwi Lake through Prairie Portage.
Now my agenda looks like this. Can anyone offer to help me fill in the blanks? I'd love to go back to Louisa and maybe even get to Sarah. Can I do both? Other suggestions?

day 1(Fri) drive to Ely and stay at VNO bunkhouse
day 2(Sat) Early Tow to Prairie Portage, paddle towards Kahshahpiwi
day 3(Sun)
day 4(Mon)
day 5(Tue)
day 6(Wed) Meet return tow mid-day at PP, drive home

IF you get an early start out of PP - i.e. you're first in line, you could get to Side Lake below Kash - but there's that blown out beaver dam and the current mudhole that needs to be navigated. I'd do that well rested. Kash lies at the end of that portage. Photo by Obergut - winner of the contest 07-2007.